I want u to be there... For a little more than Always!!
Part 23:
As soon as Fab5 left the event, cabir said,
Cabir: Guys.... Another victory!!! Another album... This calls for a party...

Mukti: Yeah... Lets just freak out tonight. Lets hv a Fab5 style party.

Manik: Right... Ohk then let's go... Party, my place!!

Aliya: Yes let's go!!

All of them got into the car and left for the Malhotra Mansion. Soon they reached there and the moment they entered Manik's smile broadened as all he wanted was to meet Nandini and there she was in the living room instructing simi about the dinner.

As Nandini heard their voice she turned her chair around to face them while simi walked away.

Nandini: Congratulations to all of u!!

Mukti: Thanks Nandini...

Aliya: Nandini... I really missed u today, no matter the arrangements were all amazingly handled by u, but still the way u handle everything is all just flawless.

Cabir: Yeah.. I missed u too...

Nandini smiled at them as all of them took their seats on the sofa.
Nandini: Now its time for me to thank u all for this. Anyways, u all relax!! I'll ask the servants to serve u. And Dadi has asked me to inform her as soon as u all come. So I hv to go call her.

Saying so she turned around and soon was out of their view. Soon dadi met all of them and congratulated them. Manik informed her about their plan to party and requested her to hv her dinner on time as they will hv it later, with this all of them moved up to Manik's room.

They all were sitting and chilling when mukti and cabir thought of some way in which they could hv Nandini join all of them for the party. And mukti suddenly shook Manik who was lost in his thoughts smiled at something(obviously thinking about Nandini...😉😉)

Mukti: Manik yr.. Where r u lost?? Just is getting boring!! Where are the drinks.. I mean Fab5 party and no drinks...

Cabir: Mukti... I love u yr!! U just stole my thoughts.

Manik hook his head in disbelief and got up,
Manik: I'll get the drinks!!

Cabir: I'll help... Chal..

Both of them moved out and mukti winked at Cabir. As they left the room Aliya asked,

Aliya: So... All prepared to set them up??

Mukti: What??

Aliya: Come on Mukti... U can't hide it from me at least.. I know u n cabir r trying to set them up together.

Mukti coughed at it and tried to act innocent.
Mukti: Set whom up.. Aliya.. what r u saying, i m not getting anything.

Aliya: Oh shut up!! Manik and nandini of course.

Mukti: Shit... U knew??

Dhruv: yeah we do!! Actually Aliya pointed it out to me long back and then i too noticed that manik really had feelings for nandini.

Aliya: Remember.... The day manik told us that nandini handles Fab 5 works, that day i was insisting manik to fire nandini, all i wanted manik to say no and realise his feelings, but he too is a Dumbo.
(For those who don't remember... It's right in the first part to the story)

Mukti: Then why didn't u tell us.

Dhruv: I told her not to.... U know na mukti!! Such a thing with manik is the first, i didn't want any of us to spoil it.

Mukti: Chal anyways.... But finally that dumbo has realised his feelings for her....

Aliya: What seriously??

Mukti: Yeah... Cabir had his own ways, we both kinda tricked him into it and we succeeded.

Dhruv: What about nandini??

Mukti: Well she too has feelings for him, i don't know if she has realised them or not but now i don't think we need to do that.... Manik himself will do so. All we have to do is to make sure they get to spend maximum time with each other.

Aliya: I think u r right...

While at the same time downstairs, Manik and Cabir walked down the stairs and Manik immediately smiled as he saw Nandini coming out of her office.

Cabir: God Nandini... Were u still working??

Nandini: I just had to finish up with a few files for tmrw.

Cabir: Come on yr chill... Infact u knw what come join us for the party.

Nandini: No no plz cabir... I think i m fine here.

Cabir: But i don't think so... U should join us, right manik??

Manik: Oh yes absolutely.

Nandini: No sir... Plz it's Fab5's celebration, what would i do there.

And this made Manik's smile vanish, while Cabir said,

Cabir: Well rn't u supposed to follow our orders. So now u can't decline... Manik i m taking the drinks up, u bring her ok!!

And before anyone could say anything, Cabir was on his way up with the drinks.

Manik moved towards nandini and simply picked her up in his arms. Nandini wrapped her arms around his neck and said,

Nandini: Manik.... Are u sure about me joining Fab5's celebration??

Manik: Why Manik.... Wasn't I 'sir' just a minute back?
Manik said sternly without looking at her. Manik understood that he was pissed off and said,

Nandini: Seriously manik... U r such a kid!! I just called u that coz cabir was here. How can I call u by ur name in front of others?

Manik: If u can call the entire Fab5 by their names then why can't u call me by my name.

Nandini: Coz they r my boss's friends while u r my boss.
Manik got even more angry at this and simply started moving up. Nandini didn't get the point of his anger and said,

Nandini: Manik stop....

Manik simply kept on moving up the stairs but the moment he reached upstairs nandini said,
Nandini: I said stop Manik...

Manik: What??
Manik asked looking at her as he stopped.

Nandini: What do u expect from me?? Tell me... Do u want me to call u by ur name just when we r alone or always?
Nandini asked slowly.

Manik sighed at it and entered the room in front of him, and made her sit on the bed.
Nandini: Manik what-

Nandini began to say something but was interrupted by him as he kept his finger on her lips.

Manik: Shh...
Manik sat down on his knees in front of her and held her hand.

Manik: Nandini listen... And listen to this very carefully!! I seriously have no idea why i m saying this and why this matters to me so much. But YOU do matter to me a lot. All u do, all u feel, all u want matters to me. I don't even know clearly what I actually feel for u. Just being with u these days makes my day change. I wait for moments to see u, I don't knw what u'll think of me after this but u being here is all I want.

Manik looked straight into her eyes all this while. But nandini was lost in his words.

Nandini's pov:
All i could do was to feel his heartfelt confession. Until this moment, i was confused about all this. About his actions, his words, his care, his concern but now clearly see that he meant each and every word. Everything uttered by him was from the bottom of his heart.

But her thoughts were again interrupted as he continued further,
Manik: U don't knw how amazing my name sounds from ur mouth. I want to listen to it just the entire day. I don't care who is around us, I don't care what ppl think, what they feel, all i want is u to call me by my name.

Nandini: At office...

Manik: Nandini.... When I say no one matters, i really mean no one. Whether its office, home, with Fab5, somewhere out. I love the way u sometimes order me for stuff, just like a friend does... And i want that every time, I love the real u, who gets angry at me, who calls me monster, who orders me, who speaks her mind, who laughs with me and who doesn't need my permission for anything.

Nandini smiled at his words as tears made way into her eyes and before Manik could realise what actually happened, she threw her arms around him and jumped down the bed putting her entire weight over him.

Manik supported her by grabbing her waist tightly as he smiled to his broadest. Yes, it was their first proper hug ever. The first one. And as he wanted, it was a special one. He wrapped her arms around her even more firmly when Nandini said,

Nandini: U don't know Manik how much these words mean to me. After about 3 years, now i feel that there is someone whom i can depend upon. Someone who can handle me. Someone with whom I can be my true self. Someone who I can say is my friend. Thank u very much for this manik... Thank u!!

Manik moved a little up and made her sit on the bed again as he broke the hug and smiled at her.
Manik: All I can say is that I m glad I did so!!

Nandini giggled at it while he removed her tears.
Nandini: I think we should get to Fab5 or ur friends will think that I stole u from ur own celebration.

Manik laughed at it and got up, he picked her up in his arms again and moved back towards his room.

As they entered the room, Mukti said,
Mukti: Here they are... Manik yr where were u??

Manik: woh....I got an important call guys...

All of the knew was lying but still didn't say anything,
Cabir: Ohk ok... Now come yr let the party​ begin.

Manik simply nodded at it and moved inside. All the others had intentionally taken the sofa and the bean bags kept over there, so the only place left was the bed. He made Nandini sit and took a seat beside her, happily.

Aliya: Nandini how r u now?? How many days more the doctor has restricted u to walk.

Nandini: 3-4 days more... I just really want to get well! Being idle is so boring

Manik: For ur information, u r not joining work for another week.

Nandini: What?? NO... Plz Manik I can't sit at home anymore.

And as expected it was like a bomb dropping over the rest. But the shock was not that Nandini called him by his name, but that Manik didn't react to it. Manik noticed their reactions and so did Nandini, but before she could react manik ignored it and continued,

Manik: Nandini.... I don't want any discussion over this topic. I said that u r not joining office so soon and thats final.

Nandini: No it isn't.... I will come and no one can stop me.

Manik: Well we'll see how u come now...

Dhruv: Woah woah... Relax guys!!

Mukti: Chill manik... Here hv this!

Mukti passed on a drink to him while Aliya picked up another and forwarded it to Nandini.

Aliya: Here Nandini... Hv this!

Nandini: No no Aliya... Thanks!! I don't wanna drink.

Cabir: Come on Nandini... One drink...
Saying so Cabir handed over a glass of beer.
Nandini took a sip and noticed dhruv looking at her.
Nandini: What happened dhruv??

Dhruv: It doesn't seem like u r drinking for the first time.

Nandini: Yes... That bcoz i m not drinking for the first time.

Manik: Really?? But i don't think i hv ever seen u drinking.

Listening this Nandini's face dropped and she said,
Nandini: Yes... I left drinking 3 years back.

All of them could clearly see that there was something which dropped her mood and Mukti decided to change the topic.

Mukti: Come on guys... Lets play something.

Aliya: Yeah!! What about TDS.

Dhruv: Yes...

And as always within minutes there were all around the table and mukti spinned the bottle twice. After a lot of leg pulling they saw the bottle head finally coming towards an end. And it stopped at Dhruv.

Cabir: Woah... Our silent boy stuck first. Chal dhruv... Tell us, who was ur first kiss. After all aliya should also know na!!

All of them got excited at it but it was popped when dhruv slowly said,
Dhruv: Aliya already knows... Coz it was her only!!

Mukti: What!! Yr tu bhi.... Ek ye Manik h jisne kasam kha rakhi h that he won't kiss anyone until he finds his "THE GIRL". And now u too....

All of them laughed at it while Manik threw the pillow over mukti. Nandini smiled at them while she looked at Manik through the corner of her eyes. Yes, Manik had never kissed anyone yet, but their

Dhruv: Ohk now next...
Dhruv rotated the bottle again and this time it stopped over cabir. And that was the time Cabir was waiting for.

Now was the time to reveal a truth to his friends. The truth that he was waiting to tell them from a long time, which was....

Well wait for it in the next chapter ppl!!😘😘